Oscar Pareja Year-End Q & A Part II: Addressing the Dallas rumors

Following the team's last training session of 2013, Colorado Rapids head coach Oscar Pareja conducted his final media session, addressing a number of topics. We've transcribed the entire interview and broken it down into three parts.

“That is a very hard question at this moment. We’re professionals and we’re doing a job here. My job is to be the head coach of Colorado. That’s what I’m doing right now. And any other thing is beyond my control and is beyond my ideas right now. I’m just wrapping up a season right now and trying to recap to see how I can get this team better. That’s where I am."

Do you still feel an affinity to Dallas, where you played and coached for a long time?

“Many places, and Dallas is one of them; Colombia, Medellin, Cali, and now Colorado. There’s a lot of touches in soccer, but I have said to you and all the time, as coaches – good or bad – you always have your luggage in the front of the door, just in case you want to kick it in or you want to kick it out. That’s life, so we’ll see."

It’s probably nice to be wanted…

“It’s better to be wanted, for sure. But it’s a day by day thing, and we’ll see. I want you, though, to know that I know that I have a responsibility and I have a sense of appreciation for the people that have helped during my career, where I played or coached. And the people here in Colorado have treated me very well. It’s what it is.”

Have you talked to Tim Hinchey or Paul Bravo about a contract or your future here?

“I have not. I have not talked about anything like that. I signed for something and I’m working for that.”

You’ve talked about a long-term vision and that you’re along with where you want to be. Is that something that would factor in to a potential phone call from somewhere else?

“Yes. We have to factor everything. We have to think about what is the future of this club, the future of this group, and everything. At this time you have to put everything on the table, and the project here is a big factor.”